Sunday, October 4, 2009

Cholesterol Is Vital To Brain Development

A group of Swedish researchers from medical university Karolinska Institutet, for the first time have confirmed that, a derivative of cholesterol is essential for the formation of brain cells.

The group was conducting an experiment on the neural cells of mice.

According to Professor Ernest Arenas, Karolinska Institutet, this might prove extremely helpful for the scientists on cultivating dopamine-producing cells outside the body.

As per the scientist, when special receptors are activated by the oxidised form of cholesterol, oxysterol, then it accelerates the creation of dopamine-producing neurons.

Embryonic cells if treated with oxidised cholesterol can also produce such dopamine-producing neurons. So such types of cells are vital to several brain functions and processes.

Professor Ernest Arenas also added that, such types of cells die during Parkinson's disease.

The study report said that, the same treatment also reduced the tendency of the stem cells to show much uncontrolled growth in the body.

"Oxysterol contributes to a safer and better cultivation of dopamine-producing cells, which is a great advancement since it increases the possibility of developing new treatments for Parkinson s disease," says Prof. Ernest Arenas.

The researchers are hopeful that, they could treat Parkinson’s patients using the transplanted dopamine- producing cells in place of dead cells. (source: India server)

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